Subject: [FFML] [ffml][fanfic][ranma][xover]Lost Boy pt.1
From: household
Date: 5/24/1998, 4:18 AM
To: fanfic@fanfic.com

Well, this is my second contribution to the FFML.  Please send C&C, I could
use all the help/advice I can get. Be gentle, I'm still new at this.  A big
thanks to BGlanders, whose response gave me the cajones to send this one. 

                      LOST BOY OF AMBER
               A Ranma 1/2/Chronicles of Amber x-over
                       By C.J.

All characters from Ranma 1/2 are property of Rumiko Takahashi.  All
characters from The Chronicles of Amber are property of Roger Zelazny. Any
new characters are mine. Please don't sue me, I have less money than most
college students (if that's possible).

Part One
 
     The world was a dark and lonely place.
     While that was Hibiki Ryoga's general train of thought most days, for
once he was looking at his environment. Glancing at the dead, blasted trees
and dry, brittle undergrowth, he wondered, 'Did Saotome and I fight here
once?'
    Saotome.  Just thinking that name brought Ryoga back into depression.
The bane of his existence.  The man, no, the half-girl pervert that was
responsible for everything wrong in Ryoga's life.  The bread.  His pig
curse. Akane's horrendous engagement.  He was just about to shout his
frustration to the skies when he felt a pain in his chest.
    Looking up, he saw an unusual sight.  There were six men before him,
half on foot, like himself and the other half on some sort of creatures
that vaguely resembled horses.  The men were wearing a kind of full plate
armor and carrying swords, including the one standing in front of him,
holding his sword to Ryoga's sternum.
     People!  This brightened his day considerably.  Ryoga started with his
standard line.  "Excuse me, but can you tell me how to get to the Tendo Dojo?"
     The man in front of him looked confused, as if he expected Ryoga to
cower in fear from him.  Then he grew angry and drew back his sword to
attack.  'Bandits!' Ryoga thought, pulling his umbrella off of his pack.
'Well, I may not get directions from them, but at least I can get some
exercise.'
     A few moments later, the bandits lay about the site groaning.  Ryoga
pulled his umbrella out of the tree that it was stuck in, and went over to
the one that seemed to be the leader.  Picking him up by the breastplate,
he shouted," Now, do you want to tell me where the Tendo Dojo is, or do I
have to get mad!"  The leader said something to Ryoga in a language he
didn't understand.  When Ryoga shook him again, he merely pointed to the
large bag on the mount he was on.  Ryoga dropped him and walked over,
shaking his head and thinking, 'How could know what I want if he doesn't
speak Japanese?'  Reaching into the bag for a map, he got his hand caught
in some kind of silky thread.
     Curiously, he pulled it out and his blood turned to ice.  These
weren't, bandits, they were slavers!  Turning around in a fury, all he saw
of the men in armor were scraps of metal dusting away before his eyes.
Annoyed, he turned and walked into the trees, not once noticing the dark
trail the men were following.


     At nightfall, Ryoga stopped and set up camp.  He had finally come out
of the area of woods that spooked him so.  After getting a campfire
started, he looked down at what was in the slavers' bag.  She appeared to
be no older than eight, with dirt, chains and manacles, and her long, brown
hair the only things covering her.  Ryoga got some spare clothes, a pail of
water from the nearby river, and a cloth to clean her up with.  After
heating the water, he went to the unconscious girl's side.  'At least she
too young to give me a nosebleed.' he thought, while breaking the chains
about her neck, arms, and legs.  He cleaned her up the best that he could,
got her dressed, then set about getting some food ready.
     Ryoga was just about finished with that when he heard her stirring.
He turned in time to see her open brilliant green eyes and look at him.
She didn't say anything, so he softly spoke.  "I have some food if you're
hungry." Ryoga flinched when she jumped at the sound of his voice. 'She
must be terrified.' he thought, 'How do you comfort a little girl?  The
only way I've done that is as P-chan...'  He stopped when he realized that
she had cautiously moved closer, and was gazing at him with a look of
adoration.  His shirt hung off her almost like a small dress, with
accompanying belt and pants looking a bit sloppy, but functional.  She said
something in the same language that the men were using, and then said
"A-arigato."
     Ryoga sighed in relief when he heard the word of Japanese.  "It was no
problem.  My name is Ryoga, what's yours?"
     "R-Ryoga?" she stammered.  A moment later she said, "Lara."
     "Well, Lara-chan, would you like some stew?  I made plenty.  It's just
dried beef and vegetables, but it's filling."
     "Hai.  Domo arigato."
     The next few days were quiet as Ryoga got to know Lara better.  Once
the shock of what happened to her wore off, she became an exuberant little
child.  While he was worried that she would be lost if she went too far
away, but she always could find him.  Ryoga had to admit, he enjoyed having
her as company, because she could cheer him up even when he was at his
bleakest.
One day, about a week later, Lara said, "Ryo-chan, how come you walk funny?"
     "What do you mean?  I walk fine."
     "You mean you want to go in circles, even when you're trying to find
that dojo where your girlfriend is?  That seems pretty silly."
     Ryoga sighed and sat down at the side of the road that they had come
across.  "Okay, I'll tell you.  You see, I've got a really bad sense of
direction.  It takes me hours to find a bathroom, and that's in the house
where I used to live.  Both of my parents have the same problem, just not
as bad, but I got it from both sides of my family, and I was kind of
ashamed to tell you..." it was then that he noticed Lara staring at him
with an intense look of concentration.  "Lara, what's wrong?  I hope I
didn't upset you by not telling you sooner but.."
     "Yatta!" Lara shouted, and gave Ryoga a world class arm-glomp. "I knew
it, I was right!"
     "R-right about what, Lara?"
     "I know why you get lost, cousin Ryo-chan."
     "COUSIN!  What are you talking about."
     "Un!  Let's set up and I'll tell you."
     A short distance away, they found a good campsite near a stream and
set up camp in record time.  Once dinner was simmering, Lara began.
     "Ryo-chan, you and me come from a special family where we can use
special powers.  I think you just don't know how to use your powers right,
so you get lost."
     "Huh?"
     "One of the powers is to walk and find anything we want.  You can
walk, but you don't know how to find stuff."
     "Do you think you can teach me how to not get lost?  It gets really
tiring sometimes."
     "No." Lara looked downcast. "I can't do it at all."  She looked
hopeful. "But I know how to get you fixed.  We'll leave in the morning."  

To be continued...